I made some of my colleagues very angry when I published this short paper in the journal Geography in July 1966. They were all deeply involved in devising geography examinations for the ‘O Level’ General Certifcate of Education. They also produced highly influential textbooks which were to be found in almost every Grammar School geography classroom throughout South Eastern England and further afield. This made me uneasy although I could have no reasonable objection to their intentions; to promote their subject and endeavour to capture the interest and enthusiasm of the school students. In this they had a great deal of success.

They rightly saw this paper as an attack on their way of thinking about the subject over which, through the schools, they had immense influence. I believed and still believe my attack was merited. It did result in the disappearance, from texts and exam questions, of the phrase I objected to. Whether it changed the fundamental habits of thought they had adopted, is not so clear.